


Equilibrium

by Xanthos_Samurai



Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Implied Relationships, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 06:56:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6042298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xanthos_Samurai/pseuds/Xanthos_Samurai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Divergent from canon.  Harvey survives and finds himself living with the Joker.  Sometimes contemplating on his old life and what he's lost strikes a nerve...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Equilibrium

“I could have had children.”

The rain pounded on the roof of the old building like ambush bullets. The two men inside had been sitting in silence beneath the sound of it.

The man once known as Harvey Dent lay stretched out on an old sofa, staring up through the filthy skylight at the rain. He wore a worn and faded pair of jeans and a black shirt. His feet were bare. He was the one who had spoken.

The other occupant looked up. In his hands he held a small block of wood, which he was carving with a large knife. He gazed over at Harvey through kohl-lined eyes. He hated it when Harvey got into these brooding moods. It sucked all the fun out of the room.

“I could have had children,” Harvey repeated softly. He raised a hand and placed it over the left side of his face, closing his eyes.

The Joker finally put aside the knife and the block of wood.

“You can still have children, you know. I’m fairly certain that the fire didn’t affect that particular bit of your anatomy.”

“I meant with Rachel,” growled Harvey.

“You should have clarified.”

“Fuck you.”

Most of their conversations went like this. The Joker antagonized Harvey at almost every opportunity, but Harvey rarely retaliated. In fact, he endured the abuse quietly, with minimal response, but he never seemed particularly bothered by it. He endured the little cruelties as one endured the gnawing of a dog that didn’t know better. 

“We could always steal you a kid. Would that cheer you up, Harvey? Would you feel better if we subjected a child to this lifestyle we’ve adopted?” The Joker took up his knife again and began to carve.

“No.” Harvey turned his head so that the left side of his face pressed into the cushion. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“You brought it up.”

“And now I’m un-bringing it up. Be quiet.”

The Joker chuckled. “Did I hit a nerve, Harvey? I am sorry… But you do realize that it’s hard not to when you’ve got so many of them exposed right out there in the open.”

He cackled to himself for several minutes as though he had just told the funniest joke in the world. Harvey remained silent, staring up at the rain. 

The Joker finally stopped laughing and looked over at Harvey’s expressionless face. He sighed, picked up his knife and his carving and walked over to sit beside Harvey on the couch.

“Come on, Harvey. No need to get all pissy about it. It was just a little joke.”

For several moments, Harvey didn’t speak. Of course, the Joker hadn’t really expected him to. He sat on the couch with Harvey and continued to carve. It had begun as little more than a nondescript block of wood, but now it held the vaguest shape – that of a bat. Harvey watched his hands hold the knife and the wood and the shavings that fell to the floor.

“I know who he is,” he said at last.

“Mm? You know who what is?” The Joker licked his lips, not even looking at Harvey.

“The Batman.”

The Joker stopped dead, digging the blade of the knife into the piece of wood.

“Don’t tell me,” he snarled low.

Harvey actually smiled. It hadn’t been all that difficult to figure out, after he had died. It all made sense. He looked up at the Joker, whose painted face trembled with rage, and laughed.

“You’ve screwed up,” he said through his laughter. “Your power came from the fact that you didn’t care about anything. That was why you couldn’t ever be broken or destroyed. It’s why Batman couldn’t ever beat you without killing you. And now you’ve got a weakness. And it’s him.” 

And suddenly, the Joker was on top of Harvey, pinning him against the cushions with a knife to his throat.

“If you say anything… If you so much as breathe a syllable…”

“What?” Harvey smiled up at him, the skull’s half of his face leering. “Joker, there is nothing you could take from me anymore. Nothing.”

The Joker was silent in twitching rage until Harvey pulled the blade away from his throat and reached up to run a finger across the knife-slash lips.

“Aw, did I hit a nerve? I’m sorry, baby, but you really shouldn’t be so sensitive.”

The Joker stared down at Harvey for another moment, licking his lips after the touch. He sat up, laughing.

“That was good, Harvey. Very good.”

“I learned from the best.”

“If you ever tell me, I’ll crucify you and light you on fire all over again.”

“I know.” Harvey smiled to himself and put his hands behind his head again, staring up once again at the rain.


End file.
